Sins of the Father
by vinkunwildflowerqueen
Summary: Frexspar Thropp's relationship with his eldest daughter has never been easy, but now it's at breaking point. Greater powers decide it's time to intervene. Can Frex be forced to see the truth about how he's treated Elphaba throughout her life, or will he make a decision he'll live to regret? Fiyeraba. Mention of Bessa. Shiz-era. Musicalverse.
1. Chapter 1- An Unexpected Visitor

**Sins of the Father**

**By Vinkunwildflowerqueen**

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Wicked**_** was created by Stephen Schwartz, **_**A Christmas Carol**_** by Charles Dickens. As I am neither of those people, clearly I own nothing.**

**AN. So, basically one day, I was walking to school (which I guess is technically work, but I always call it 'school' still), listening to my iPod and "A Place Called Home", which is from the 2004 **_**A Christmas Carol **_**movie starring Kelsey Grammer and Jennifer Love Hewitt came on. (Not my favourite of the **_**Christmas Carol **_**movies, but I love that song. It's also the name of my **_**Harry Potter **_**fanfiction I wrote a few years ago). **

**And somehow through the song, I had the idea for a **_**Wicked **_**version of the Dickens classic. Hardly original, I know. Except when I thought about it, it was Frex I saw as Scrooge. So here it is. It's only 5 chapters, but I hope you enjoy it. I can't say when the next long fic will be up, so this will have to hold you.**

**FYI, my favourite version of **_**A Christmas Carol **_**is the Muppets version. Because… it's the Muppets. Although I also love the 2001 animated version, or rather, I love the song "What If" that Kate Winslet sings in it (I kinda adore Kate Winslet).**

**Thanks to Maddy for helping me sort out a few thoughts when I had the idea! I hope you enjoy actually reading it. And thanks to the Wizard of Wicked for the cover. **

**Chapter One: An Unexpected Visitor**

All of Munchkinland was decorated for Lurlinemas. Lights, candles, tinsel. A sudden epidemic of anything glittery, sparkly or remotely festive spread throughout the province, decorating houses, fences, farms and even a few animals unfortunate enough to be caught unaware by their masters. Cut down pine trees shone stood proudly in windows of houses, each adorned with their own individual decorations.

All, that is, except for the big white house atop the hill that was the Governor's house. Although no one in Munchkinland was surprised about that. The Governor's wife, Melena, had loved Lurlinemas and the house had always been cheerfully decorated inside and out for the season from the time she and Frexspar married, to the year she died. After that, the house had gone dark.

Inside however, the Thropp's eldest daughter, Elphaba had ensured that there was a decorated tree and some form of festivation for her younger sister, Nessarose. Even if her father couldn't stand the idea of a big celebration at Lurlinemas without his wife, Elphaba remembered enough to want those happy memories for her sister.

A small tree, simply decorated, stockings hanging by the fire and a few simple Lurlinemas traditions. That was all, but it was enough to make sure Nessarose loved the holidays as much as her mother had, and Frex dreaded it that little bit less. Anything to bring his tragically beautiful youngest daughter joy.

This year, however, was different. Inside and out of the great white house, there were no decorations. Nothing to signify this time of year was any different.

It was Lurlinemas Eve, and Governor Frexspar Thropp sat in his study, resolutely staring at the document he was supposed to be reading; determinedly ignoring how empty the house felt. And just as determinedly ignoring the fact that it was his own fault. Frex, as usual whenever possible, blamed Elphaba.

His daughters were in their second year of Shiz now. Nessarose was doing beautifully- she was getting good grades, had made some good friends, and all her teachers praised her. Elphaba was apparently doing well too. The year before, for their first year at Shiz, the girls had come home for Lurlinemas break.

Nessarose had chattered endlessly about Shiz and her friends, telling her father every unimportant detail of the past semester she had been able to think of. Elphaba had been strangely quiet, but Frex hadn't questioned, hadn't inquired. Why should he? It was better that way.

It was over the summer when everything had gone wrong.

The girls had come home for the summer and Nessa had let slip that Elphaba was dating the scandalacious Vinkun prince, Fiyero Tiggular.

Frex didn't know the prince, but he knew his reputation. He had heard the rumours and speculation; the innuendo, the outuendo. And it was more than enough to know that this was not the kind of boy that was appropriate to associate with Nessarose. Frex could see what his daughters couldn't- that Fiyero Tiggular was only "dating" Elphaba to create a stir, a scandal. A scandal that he didn't want Nessa involved in. Besides, Fiyero didn't truly care for Elphaba. He couldn't. There was no way.

Frex had tried to be rational with his eldest daughter, reminding her that her actions reflected upon their family and therefore, Nessa's future as Governor. He had warned her that Fiyero was just leading her on, and that it would be better if she ended it as soon as possible.

Elphaba, in typical Elphaba fashion, had refused point blank. She insisted that Fiyero loved her, and she loved him. She told Frex in no uncertain terms, that there was absolutely no way she was going to end her relationship with the prince, no matter what Frex said or did.

That had been the beginning of a huge war in the Thropp household. They had argued all summer, resulting in the biggest fight the day before the girls left to go back to Shiz. Frex had threatened to withdraw Elphaba from school; Elphaba had in return threatened to run away. It had been so big that Elphaba had- accidentally, she _said_- blown out every light fixture in the house. Finally, Frex had told his daughter that if she insisted on bringing further shame on to the family, not to bother coming home.

Elphaba had simply looked at him coldly, and nodded. "Fine."

They hadn't spoken since.

Not that they spoke a lot, usually, but there was nothing. And that was why Frex was spending Lurlinemas alone.

Elphaba had refused to come home for the holidays, and as Nessa was unable to travel unassisted, the girls were spending Lurlinemas at Shiz. Nessa was caught in the middle between her father and her sister, and she hated it, Frex knew. But there was nothing he could do about that, unless Elphaba came around. As far as Frex was concerned, he had washed his hands of his green daughter. It was up to her now.

Frex knew how this would play out. Either Fiyero would break her heart, or involve her in a scandal, and Elphaba would come crawling back to him for help.

"_Frex."_

Frex jerked his head up from his work, his heart pounding.

Had he just heard a voice?

It was impossible, he was alone in the house. The housekeeper had left three hours ago, to spend Lurlinemas Eve with her children. There was no one here. Shaking his head, he returned to his document.

"_Frex."_

There it was again. Louder this time. What frightened Frex most however, was that it sounded familiar. It almost sounded like… Melena.

No. Melena was dead. She had been for nineteen years. He was obviously just tired.

"Frex."

It was definishly a voice, definishly female and very, very scarily similar to his late wife. And then Frex looked over and froze.

"Melena," he choked out hoarsely.

There she was, his beloved Melena. She looked as beautiful as he remembered, the flowing auburn hair; the brown eyes with little flecks of gold; the slim figure; the long thin nose with a dusting of freckles. She was wearing a simple cream gown, and she looked not quite solid, but not transparent either.

Frex's first instinct was that he was hallucinating or dreaming. Maybe this was nothing but a very vivid dream. Or maybe he'd had a stroke and was dying.

"This is real," Melena said gently.

Frex just gaped at her. "But… _how?! _How is this possible? You're… you're dead."

"I am," Melena agreed, nodding. She sounded very casual about the fact.

"I don't understand. This _can't _be real. There's no such thing as ghosts!" Frex insisted.

"I'm less of a ghost, and more of a spirit," Melena offered.

Frex didn't think that made what was happening any more believable. "What's the difference?" he asked instead.

"A ghost is someone who's died but hasn't passed on because of unfinished business," Melena said simply. "A spirit comes for a specific purpose."

Frex paused. "What purpose is that?" he asked, not sure if he wanted to know the answer.

Melena didn't answer. Instead, she approached Frex and sat casually on his desk. Something she had done a million times before, and Frex had forgotten all about.

"How are the girls?"

Frex's face lit up. "Oh, Melena… darling, you'd be so proud of our Nessie! She's so beautiful, and smart, and kind. She's grown into an elegant, mature young woman. She reminds me of you in so many ways," he beamed.

Melena smiled softly. She reached out and traced the frame of a photograph of Nessa that sat on the corner of his desk. She couldn't actually touch the frame, but she traced it with a gentle finger.

"She is very beautiful."

Frex smiled proudly.

"And Elphaba?"

Frex's smile faded. "Elphaba?" he repeated.

Melena looked at him. "Yes, Elphaba. Our other daughter. Remember her?"

"Of course," Frex replied shortly, but said nothing else.

She raised an eyebrow. "Well?"

"She's fine."

"She's _fine?!" _Melena repeated incredulously. "That's all you have to say? I've been dead for nineteen years, and Elphaba is _fine?"_

Frex shrugged. "She's fine. She's still green. She's at Shiz, she takes care of Nessa… she's proven herself very… capable."

He had almost said "useful" but he didn't think Melena would approve of it.

"Hmm." That was all Melena said, her lips thin.

"What?" Frex demanded defensively.

Melena glared at him. "Frex, I know you and Elphaba aren't talking. I know everything."

Frex got up from behind his desk and began to pace, avoiding her gaze. "She's too headstrong," he complained. "I tried being rational with her, but she insists on defying me at every turn!"

"And what exactly has she done that's so horrendible?" Melena asked him.

Frex paced more furiously, then whirled to face his wife. "Did you know she's dating Fiyero Tiggular?" he demanded.

"Yep, I know," Melena said calmly.

She acted as though there was nothing wrong with that idea.

"And you see no problem with that?!" Frex cried incredulously.

Melena waved a hand in his face. "Um, _hello_. Who do you think sent him to her?"

That stopped Frex dead in his tracks. "You- you _what?!" _he gaped.

"I sent him to her," Melena repeated evenly. "Of course, it's not that simple but the logistics of it all are hard to explain."

"But- _why?" _Frex spluttered in horror. "Have you _seen _the boy? Have you heard the rumours? He is not appropriate to be associated with Nessarose! He is-"

"Good for her," Melena cut him off.

Frex genuinely wondered if being dead had affected Melena's common sense. "Please, inform me how exactly he is good for Nessarose?"

Melena glared at him. "For _Elphaba."_

Frex didn't understand.

"Fiyero makes Elphaba feel good about herself. Something she severely lacks and really needs," Melena said firmly. Then her tone softened. "Frex, he loves her. And she loves him."

Frex scoffed. "I'm sure that boy has told a million girls that he loves them. Really, Melena-"

"I'm dead!" Melena exclaimed pointedly. "I know a few things you don't, Frexspar. And I can tell you, '_that boy'_ loves our daughter. _Elphaba."_

She gave him a hard stare. "This is exactly why I'm here."

"For Elphaba?" Frex asked in disbelief. "Then why are you here talking to me, instead of Elphaba?"

"Because to help Elphaba, I need to help you."

Frex frowned.

"Frex, you've been a terrible father," Melena said, her voice growing cold.

He gaped at her. "_Excuse me?! _I've given Nessarose-"

"I am _not talking about Nessarose!" _she interrupted loudly. "For the love of _Oz, _Frex. I am talking about Elphaba. The best thing you have _ever _done for her was send her to Shiz, and even then you only did that for Nessa! From the _moment _she was born, you have treated her with nothing but contempt."

Frex rolled his eyes.

"In the first minutes of her life, you called her obscene and ordered her to be taken away," Melena reminded him coldly.

"She's _green," _Frex reminded her, as though she had forgotten.

"You blame her for my death," Melena said icily, her tone barely a whisper.

Frex paused.

"She-"

"-Was _three years old. _It was our- sorry, _your _decision for me to eat the milk flowers. You had _no _right to blame her. And there has been no reason for you to treat her the way you have every day since."

Melena's voice was shaking quietly, and Frex had never seen her so mad, dead or alive.

"You need to pull your head out of your ass, Frex. You need to realise that you- _we _have a beautiful, smart, kind, loving daughter who, yes, happens to be green. And if you don't start treating Elphaba better, you're going to lose her. And you have no idea just how bad that will be for you."

"How could it possibly affect me?" Frex asked her.

Melena didn't answer. "Tonight, you will be visited by three spirits. Each spirit has something to show you, something that you have to learn. And if you don't change… I can't help you."

"Three spirits?" Frex repeated sceptically.

"The first will come at exactly the stroke of twelve. This is your last chance to change, Frex. And quite frankly, it's more than you deserve."

Looking at Melena, he realised he could see through her now. She was beginning to fade.

"Tell the girls I love them," she said softly. "And I am so proud of both of them. Goodbye, Frex."

Before his eyes, she faded away, until Frex was alone in his office once more.

**AN. If you don't know either of the songs I mentioned in the above AN, I'll put them on my blog for you guys to see. **


	2. Chapter 2- The First of the Spirits

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Wicked**_** was created by Stephen Schwartz, **_**A Christmas Carol**_** by Charles Dickens. As I am neither of those people, clearly I own nothing.**

**AN. I'm glad so many people are interested in this! Hope you enjoy this chapter. Just a note- "Frex" refers to present Frex, whilst "Frexspar" is his past self.**

**Chapter Two: The First of the Spirits **

Alone once more, Frex was very still. He couldn't for the life of him figure out what to make of what had just happened. Melena. He had seen her, spoken to her. Had he? Had that just happened?

It had certainly looked like her, sounded like her. But there were no such things as ghosts… sorry, _spirits. _Were there?

For the sake of argument, and to save Frex developing a migraine- say it had been Melena's spirit. What of everything she had said to him? Three spirits would come to him this night, or it would be too late for him. Try as he might, Frex couldn't make sense of that.

Shaking his head firmly, Frex stiffened his resolve.

This was utter nonsense. Whether or not Melena had been real or a hallucination, clearly there was no such thing as spirits. And there was no reason for further spirits to appear to him. Yes, he and Elphaba weren't close. What did that matter? Plenty of parents weren't close to their children, and he had Nessarose.

Frex left his study and went about his normal nightly routine, locking up the house and getting ready for bed. It was only eleven o'clock and rather early for him, but after the night he'd had, he could do with an early night.

As he got ready for bed, Frex couldn't shake the feeling as though someone was in the room with him. And once he was in bed, the lamp off and waiting for sleep to claim him, he found it was worse. Every tick of the clock made his heart jump into his throat, every creak made his breath hitch in fear for a second.

What was he expecting? Part of him still didn't believe anything was going to happen. And the other part of him… well, the other part of him was terrified. Seeing Melena before him was one thing, but seeing other spirits…

If they did come, would they all be people he had once known? One of his parents? He hoped not. Besides, both his parents had died before Elphaba was even born. Frex couldn't think of anyone else he had known that had died that he was particularly close with.

Frex lay there, watching the clock tick ever closer to midnight, and with every minute, he grew more apprehensive. At eleven-thirty, he gave up all pretense of trying to sleep and instead just waited for midnight.

At long last, the big hand ticked over to join the short hand on the twelve; and at the same time Frex heard the big grandfather clock downstairs call out the hour, the chime echoing the house and sounding more booming and foreboding than Frex had ever heard it. At the first chime, he bolted upright in bed, scanning the room frantically.

His stomach was in knots, but the room remained empty. With every further chime, he grew less and less uncertain. The room was still empty, save for himself. And then on the twelfth chime, just as Frex started to let himself relax, a blinding white light filled the room. Instinctively, Frex threw up his hands to shield his eyes.

When he finally dared to lower his hands, still bracing himself against the bright light, he saw a figure standing by his bed. As his eyes adjusted and the shape came into focus, his jaw dropped slightly.

"Nessa?"

"Good evening, Frexspar Thropp. Or should I say, good morning, rather."

Frex was speechless. "Your- your chair," he said, staring at her.

There was no chair. Nessa was standing, as she had never done in her life.

"I am not actually Nessarose," Nessa who wasn't Nessa said, almost apologetically.

"I don't understand," Frex said, although granted, there wasn't much about this night that he understood.

"I am the Ghost of Lurlinemas Past," Nessa announced herself, because Frex couldn't think of this… spectre who looked exactly like his youngest daughter, any other way.

"The Ghost of…"

"Lurlinemas Past," she nodded.

Even though Frex hadn't known what to expect, it certainly hadn't been this.

"As spirits, we have the power to assume any form we wish," she explained. "Whichever form we think will calm people most when we appear to them. Not that this is a common occurrence," she added as an afterthought.

"So… you chose my daughter?" Frex asked, raising an eyebrow.

"_To be ignorant of the past is to be forever a child," _Nessa quoted.

Frex frowned, and she elaborated. "The past has the most to teach us, yet it is in many ways the most innocent time. Childhood is the biggest part of the past of humans, because of that innocence. And no being represents innocence more clearly to you than Nessarose."

That was true.

"How much are you…"

"I have all her memories up to the point in time I appeared to you," she said calmly. "And I can draw upon any of her thoughts, characteristics or personality traits as I wish. I chose not to use the wheelchair because it would rather hinder our journey."

Frex's eyes widened. "Journey?" he repeated. "Where are we going?"

Nessarose smiled. "You will see. Take my hand."

Frex hesitated. This form of Nessa didn't look any more solid than Melena had. But then she gave him _that _look, the one the real Nessa did. The look of pure sweetness and innocence that Frex could never say no to. And evidently, the fact it wasn't actually his daughter but merely a spirit assuming her form, proved absolutely no different.

He reached out and took her hand, as she smiled triumphantly with a smugness that was more reminiscent of Elphaba than Nessarose. The same blinding light in which Nessa- the _spirit- _had appeared in filled the room once more and enveloped them. Frex closed his eyes against the brightness once more and when he opened them, he looked around.

He was surprised to find them still in his bedroom.

"We haven't gone anywhere," he said in distain. Hadn't it worked?

Nessa- because Frex couldn't think of her any other way- simply smiled. "Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure," Frex said in a tone more harsh he had ever actually used with Nessarose. "We left my bedroom, and this is my bedroom!"

"Is nothing different?" she asked innocently. "Maybe it's not so much a question of _where, _but _when."_

At first, Frex didn't know what she meant. And then he looked more closely and his breath caught. There were flowers on the nightstand.

That may not seem like a big deal, but Frex hadn't had flowers in his bedroom in nineteen years. That was something Melena had insisted on… when she was alive. His heart pounding in his chest, he noticed other small differences.

Different sheets and quilt on the bed- the quilt Frex had burned after Nessa's birth because it had been too blood-stained. Photographs of Melena, with himself and with Elphaba as a baby sat amongst the room, photos which Frex knew for a fact resided in a shoe box at the back of his closet.

As it hit him and hardly daring to hope, Frex wrenched the door opened and hurried down the stairs. The ground floor was resplendent in Lurlinemas decorations, a marked change from how Frex had last seen it. And coming from the living room was the sound of voices and laughter.

The sight that met him as Frex moved into the doorway had him transfixed. There was Melena, sitting on the floor near the Lurlinemas tree; and she was laughing and watching as a little green baby carefully pulled at a wrapped package.

"Elphaba's first Lurlinemas, wasn't it?" Nessa asked.

Frex jumped slightly, he hadn't noticed the spirit behind him.

"I believe so," he said stiffly.

There was no doubt about it, though. He remembered it more clearly than Frex wanted to admit.

Elphaba would be nine months, he recalled, inspecting the scene closely. He went to step into the room but hesitated.

"They can't see us, or hear us," the spirit reminded him.

Frex nodded absently and stepped into the room.

"Frex!" Melena called lightly, her tone full of laughter and love.

Frex froze, his blood running cold.

"Frex!" she called again. "You have to come see this! Come watch!"

As the memory washed over him, Frex turned and saw himself enter the room, which was a supremely odd feeling. He hadn't changed much, from what he could tell. A few less lines on his face, maybe a few pounds lighter, that was it.

Frexspar of the past looked at the scene, his lips pursed tightly. And Frex was genuinely surprised. He knew that look, it was the look that Nessarose- the _real _Nessarose- called 'the Elphaba look'. He just hadn't realised it had been in use when Elphaba was an infant.

"Watch Fabala open her present," Melena urged him, and both past and present Frex turned their gaze to Elphaba.

Nine months… Frex hadn't thought about Elphaba as a baby for a long time. Had she always had Melena's nose? The big dark eyes with the long lashes?

"A beautiful baby," Nessa said admiringly, bending down to see her better. "Does she resemble you or Melena more now that she's grown?"

Frex opened his mouth, and then paused. He wasn't sure. All he knew for certain about his eldest daughter was that she was green. But now, he had to admit Elphaba was… cuter, than he remembered. Despite the green.

Instead of answering, he turned his attention back to the scene before him. Elphaba was opening a present, although it was clear all she was really doing was tearing away the paper. She was too little to actually understanding the idea of Lurlinemas, presents or what she was doing.

"What have you got, Fabala?" Melena asked brightly, discreetly helping Elphaba unwrap the present to reveal a large, stuffed white teddy bear.

Elphaba's tiny little face lit up and she reached out for the stuffed toy. She fell onto it in an ungraceful embrace and as she fought to straighten up back into a seating position, she immediately put her mouth around the bear's nose, as babies are wont to do.

Melena giggled, as did the spirit beside Frex.

"Show Daddy what you got," Melena urged her daughter.

Frex watched as Elphaba turned to look up at his past self, holding up the bear and babbling softly. Then he watched as he merely sniffed and nodded.

Melena's face fell. "Frex," she said quietly. "It's her first Lurlinemas. Our first as a _family. _Can't you try?"

"She's nine months old, Melena. She doesn't understand any of this, and she won't remember it."

"But I will," Melena replied and got to her feet. "I'm going to go to the bathroom. Can you just watch her for a minute? Please?"

She left the room.

Elphaba still seemed absorbed by the bear, and then she looked around and noticed her mother wasn't there. Frex couldn't miss the look that came across her face as she looked around and saw his past self still in the room- it was almost relief, if infants were capable of such emotions.

Abandoning the bear, she crawled towards Frexspar and sat herself at her feet. Gurgling, she reached out towards him, clearly being asked to be picked up.

"Ma ma ma ma," she said.

Frex remembered this clearly, his heart wrenching painfully. Melena had insisted she was saying 'Mama' and Frex had just as fervently insisted it was just sounds.

Frexspar sat there, ignoring the baby's pleas. Then came the first whimper, which turned into sobs and then Elphaba was crying softly, her tiny fingers grasping at Frexspar's pant leg and weakly tugging.

Frex could only watch. Despite himself, he felt rather ashamed. Watching himself, it seemed worse than Frex remembered it.

"You can't even pick up your own child?" the spirit asked, soundly decidedly unlike Nessarose. "She's crying. All she wanted was to be picked up and held by her father. Did you ever hold her as a child?"

"Of course I-" Frex snapped, and then stopped abruptly. He _had, _hadn't he? He must have. He wracked his brain desperately, trying to conjure a memory.

But he was interrupted as Melena returned to the room, her footsteps quickened by Elphaba's sobs. When she saw what was happening, tears filled her own eyes.

"Really, Frex?" she demanded coldly.

At the sound of her voice, Elphaba immediately turned to her mother. "Ma ma!"

Melena scooped the baby into her arms, holding her close and wiping away a few tears. "Yes, darling girl. Mama's here."

Holding Elphaba closely, she glared down at Frexspar through teary eyes. "She may be green, but she's not _poison_. She's a little girl! She's a _baby_. Can't you see past her skin for even a moment?"

Frexspar said nothing, even as Frex silently urged his past self to say something- anything. Finally, Melena left the room, taking Elphaba with her.

The room was silent until the spirit spoke.

"So right from the beginning, you wouldn't give your daughter so much as a hug. She was an infant. What exactly had she done to warrant your disgustification?"

"She was born," Frex snapped without thinking.

Nessarose raised an eyebrow. "Indeed?"

Frex stalled. "She- she was… when you have a child born with an... abnormality," he struggled, trying to explain it. There was no way a Spirit could understand what it was like to have your firstborn come out green.

"And you've had two," the spirit said quietly.

"Two?" Frex repeated in surprise.

"Nessarose. She was born with an… _abnormality, _wasn't she? She can't walk."

"That's different," Frex said immediately.

"Why?" she countered.

Frex opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Why was it different?

"Because Nessarose's skin is a normal colour? Because you're responsible?"

Frex paled. "What do you mean?" he asked, feigning ignorance.

The spirit ignored him and took his arm.

"Let's see another memory, shall we?"

Before Frex's eyes, the room faded and reappeared in a flash of light. It looked relatively the same as it had a few seconds ago- the same decorations on the tree, the same festive air. But now Melena lay on the sofa, one hand on her stomach as she watched Elphaba open her gifts, who was no longer a baby but a little girl.

She was pregnant with Nessarose, Frex realised. He tried to mentally do the maths. If it was December and Nessarose had been born in May but had been two months premature, it meant Melena was only two months pregnant. If memory served him, they had only discoverated she was pregnant a week or two prior. And that would make Elphaba… two years and 9 months old.

Frex was surprised by how tiny Elphaba looked to him. She looked almost dainty. Her black hair was a lot longer, hanging past her shoulders in tangled curls. It obviously hadn't been brushed yet today.

His own past self was in the room too, sitting in an armchair and reading the newspaper.

Elphaba was surrounded by a few gifts that she had already opened, clothes, toys. As she opened her next present, she gasped happily.

"Books! I got books, Momma!" she exclaimed in joy.

Melena looked tired and pale. Frex wondered it was because of morning sickness or the milkflowers. He couldn't remember how soon she had started taking them. But she smiled at Elphaba's excited face.

"I see that, sweetheart. Aren't you lucky?"

Elphaba jumped up, book in hand, and came over to the sofa to show her mother. "Can you read it, Momma?" she asked.

Melena almost looked pained. "I would, baby girl, but Momma's not feeling very well right now. Why don't you ask Daddy?"

Elphaba turned and regarded her father closely. She didn't run over and ask him, and Frexspar ignored the little girl.

"It's ok," she finally said. "He's reading about the… W-wend Follows C-corn Draft," she said, squinting.

Frex startled to realise she was reading the headline of the newspaper in his hands. Could she read at that age?

Melena chuckled. "It's the Wend _Fallows _Corn _Drought," _she gently corrected. "But well, done Fabala. I bet you can read all those books all by yourself," she told her and Elphaba beamed at her.

"I'll read to you and the baby!" she offered, scrambling up to sit beside her on the sofa. "To make you feel better."

Melena smiled. "I'd love that. And so would the baby."

Frex watched in astonishment as Elphaba haltingly began to read the book aloud, with only minor corrections by Melena. Were children supposed to be reading at this age? Was Nessarose? Why didn't he remember this?

He found himself curiously absorbed in watching Elphaba read to her mother, her little finger pointing at each word on the page.

"Can't you keep the child quiet?"

Everyone in the room, from all time periods, turned to Frexspar. He had put down his paper and was glaring at Elphaba.

Melena was glaring right back at her husband, one arm around Elphaba protectively. Elphaba had gone silent, staring at her father with huge, wide eyes. Frex thought he saw a glimmer of fear in them, and felt a strange sensation in his gut. It felt rather like… guilt?

"She's reading to me and the baby," Melena defended her.

"She's making a racket," Frex snapped. "She can't even read."

Melena's eyes widened. "Aren't you even _listening _to her? Fabala, where are you going, baby?"

Elphaba had slid off the sofa and was quietly gathering her new things. "It's ok, Momma. I'll put my presents away and won't make a noise," she said quietly. "I hope you feel better Momma. Sorry to make you mad, Daddy."

As she scampered from the room, Melena leaned back against the sofa, closing her eyes.

"Frex-"

"Save your breath, Melena," Frexspar cut her off. "I don't want to hear your speech again."

"Oh, don't worry, I have a new one," Melena said sarcastically. "Frex, do you realise Elphaba is afraid of you?"

Frexspar scoffed. "Don't be ludicrous. Why would she be afraid of me?"

"Maybe because you do nothing but yell at her. Frex, when the baby comes I'll need you to help out more. With Elphaba. I don't want her feeling neglected because I have to spend time with the baby."

Frexspar merely made a noise in his throat and returned to his paper.

The spirit turned to Frex, her face hard.

Frex expected another lecture, but she simply took his arm.

"One more memory," she said and the room faded once more.

This time, when the room reformed, it was different. No decorations, and the room seemed very cold and empty. The room was empty.

"When is this? Where are we?" Frex asked the spirit. There were no signs or indications that helped him pinpoint what year it was.

"Why don't we go find you?" Nessarose suggested.

Frex followed her through the house looking for himself… which was a weird thought to say.

He wasn't in the kitchen, his study or his bedroom. There seemed to be no sign of life anywhere.

"Where is everyone? Why would you show me an empty house?" he demanded of the spirit.

Nessarose cocked her head thoughtfully. "Wait."

Mystified, Frex followed her to a room down the hall from his bedroom. Now, it was a spare room but it had once been Nessarose's room when she was a baby. As it clicked, the spirit firmly grasped his arm and they passed through the closed door into the room.

There was Nessarose- the _real _Nessarose, as a baby. She was lying in her crib, cooing softly. Beside the crib, was Elphaba, standing on her toes to peer in at her baby sister. Frex's throat grew tight.

"When is this?" he asked, although he knew. This was the first Lurlinemas after Melena's death.

"Ssshh," the spirit hushed him, stepping closer to the crib.

"On Lurlinemas we get presents," Elphaba was telling the baby. "And there's decorations everywhere. Everyone decorates their house to make them look pretty. We don't have any decorations up today. I think Daddy forgot."

Elphaba's voice dropped to a whisper. "He's still really sad about Momma. I am too. I miss her. She was the best Momma ever. You would have liked her, Nessie."

She bent down and picked something off the floor. It took Frex a few moments to recognise the white bear that Elphaba herself had been given for her first Lurlinemas.

"This is my bear. His name is Bai. I thought you might like him. He's-"

"_Elphaba!"_

Elphaba whipped around, shrinking back against the crib as Frexspar stormed into the room.

"What in Oz's name are you doing?! Get away from the baby!"

Elphaba bit her lip and held up the bear. "I wanted to give her my bear. For Lurlinemas," she explained in a small voice.

Frexspar seized her by the arm and dragged her out of the room into the hall.

"You go to your room," he ordered her. "You do _not _go near the baby without my _express _permission, do you understand?"

"I wasn't going to hurt her!" Elphaba protested. "I just wanted to give her a Lurlinemas present. It's her first one," she trailed off.

Frexspar's glare didn't lessen. He took the bear from her and threw it aside. "Stay away from Nessarose," he warned her. "Until I say so, you are not to be trusted with her. Oz knows what you'd do to her. Now, _go to your room."_

Tears filled Elphaba's eyes and she fled, sobbing. Frexspar entered the room to see Nessarose, but Frex walked down the hall to Elphaba's bedroom without really thinking. The little girl was curled up on her bed sobbing.

In her arms, was a photo of Melena.

"Do you know what happened the last time Elphaba saw her mother?" the spirit asked Frex, appearing at his side.

Frex said nothing.

"Elphaba promised her mother that she'd look after her baby sister."

Frex turned to her. "Why would she promise such a thing?" he demanded. "She didn't know Melena would…" he couldn't say "die." Even now.

"No, she didn't," Nessarose agreed. "But she promised to help Melena take care of the baby and to teach her all sorts of things. She was looking forward to being a big sister. And to be ordered away in case she hurt the baby…"

Frex remembered finding Elphaba in Nessa's room. He had been still torn apart by grief over losing Melena, and what had happened to Nessa, and he had not been able to deal with Lurlinemas on top of that. He'd done his best to ignore Elphaba for almost a year after Melena's death. He'd hired a nanny for the girls and when Nessarose had been five, Elphaba had taken over responsibility for her sister.

He finally noticed that Elphaba had cried herself to sleep, still clutching the photo frame in her arms.

"Did you check on her?" the spirit asked.

"What do you mean?" Frex frowned.

She gestured to Elphaba's sleeping figure. "You sent her to her room in tears. Did you check on her afterwards?"

Frex thought back. "I don't think so," he said stiffly.

"You didn't," the spirit clarified. "How many other times have you sent her away in tears and never checked to make sure she was ok?"

A thought occurred to Frex. He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen his oldest daughter cry. Even over the summer, for all the arguments they'd had and threats that had been made, he had never seen her so much as shed a tear.

He looked back at Elphaba. She would be not even four here, he realised. He hadn't seen his daughter cry since she was three. And he wasn't stupid enough to believe she hadn't cried in nineteen years.

For the first time, he felt a touch of remorse about his treatment of his daughter. It was difficult to look back at the shadows of the past he had seen and explain why he had never given his daughter so much as a hug.

"What is the point of showing me all this?" he asked gruffly.

"To show you with the benefit of hindsight, the errors of your ways," the spirit said calmly. "You have treated Elphaba horrendibly since she was born. What is happening now and what will happen if you don't make an effort to change, is a consequence of your actions."

Frex spluttered. "I don't see how changing anything will help. The present issue has nothing to do with Elphaba. It's the fault of that _boy _she's… dating."

Nessarose nodded slowly. "Right. Because she's dating him to spite you, isn't she? He doesn't love her, and it's all about to erupt in scandal, yes?"

"Yes," Frex nodded.

She shook her head with a faint smile. "You still don't see it, do you?"

"See what?" Frex demanded. "Look, I admit… I can see now that I may have treated somewhat unfairly in the past. But this-"

"You don't see the worth in her. The good. You don't believe there's a chance this boy could truly love her."

Frex didn't believe it.

"Maybe the next spirit can help you see the light," the spirit said sadly.

She took Frex's arm once more, the now familiar light appeared and Frex found himself alone in his bedroom. As though nothing had ever happened.

**AN. This chapter gave me the excuse to write Melena and YouTube lots of videos of cute kids at Christmas. Win-win, really. That's also how I figured Elphaba's speech fluency and ability to read as a toddler. Of course, maybe I just lucked out with videos of advanced kids, but I figure Elphaba's pretty smart, so it could work.**


	3. Chapter 3- The Second of the Spirits

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Wicked**_** was created by Stephen Schwartz, **_**A Christmas Carol**_** by Charles Dickens. As I am neither of those people, clearly I own nothing.**

**AN. I made at least 5 people cry in the last chapter... does it help if I say I didn't mean for that to happen? I hope you like the 2nd spirit!**

**And Thedoctor24601: Hi :)**

**WickedFrenchHorn: I recommend everyone reads more Charles Dickens! Haha. I read _Great Expectations _when I was 8, but _A Christmas Carol _is my favourite. **

**Chapter Three: The Second of the Spirits**

Frex didn't know how long it would be before the next spirit arrived.

He could no longer delude himself that this was just a very realistic dream. He wondered which form the next spirit would take, and what it would show him.

He paced restlessly around his bedroom, unsure what to do. Hesitatingly, he left the room and headed down the hall. He paused outside a door, braced himself, and opened it.

Elphaba's bedroom. This was not the room she had had in the last memory he had seen. Frex had moved her out of that room when she was five, and into this much smaller room, tucked away at the back of the hall. Why? Now, he couldn't say.

Frex didn't even know the last time he'd been inside this room. It was very simple, very different from Nessa's room. A bed, a nightstand, a dresser and a desk filled the room, and every other available space was filled by bookshelves filled to the brim. There were no personal effects. No photos, no knick knacks, no mementos. He wondered faintly if she had just taken them to Shiz with her, but somehow he doubted that.

It was so different from Nessarose's room.

"It's not much, is it?"

Frex whirled around, his heart pounding. There was a young man standing casually in the doorway. Frex had never met him, but he knew who he was.

"Fiyero Tiggular?"

The boy grinned. "In a manner of speaking." He straightened up and gave a little bow.

"The Ghost of Lurlinemas Present, at your service."

Frex stared at him. "But… _why _would you take _this _form?" he demanded.

He was met with a casual shrug. "I'm the present. And no one lives in the moment better than yours truly. Fiyero. The _real _Fiyero. You know what I mean."

The spirit straightened up. "So, are you ready? We have two stops to make and not a lot of time to make them in."

Frex was more dubious than ever, he didn't trust any form of the Tiggular boy. But he sighed and nodded.

"Fine."

Fiyero clicked his fingers and the room dissolved.

He found himself, once again, in his bedroom. It was daylight, and the clock on the nightstand read that it was just after noon. Whistling the tune to a Lurlinemas carol cheerfully, the spirit led Frex out of the room and downstairs into the dining room. Frex reluctantly followed.

When they entered the dining room, Frex saw himself seated at the table, eating porridge.

Frex sighed impatiently. "I'm sorry, why do I need to see myself eating breakfast? I do it every morning."

Fiyero cocked his head to the side, looking thoughtful as he watched Frexspar silently eating his porridge.

"Why do people eat porridge?" he mused. "Surely of all the breakfast foods, there are so many alternatives that are better than something that looks like vomit."

Frex grimaced.

"Now, _bacon! That _is a breakfast food. Pancakes! French toast! Oh, and eggs! Now, as a spirit, I don't actually eat. But is there a food you can do more with than eggs? Scramble them, poach them, fry them… now, I- or should I say, Fiyero, is rather partial to eggs Benedict. But from my observations over the years, I'd have to say that the one I'd most like to try- if I could eat, would be-"

"Will you _shut up_ about eggs and tell me why we're watching this?!" Frex demanded irritably.

Fiyero shrugged agreeably. "Fine. Let's examine Exhibit A, shall we?"

Frex gritted his teeth. Oz, was the _real _Tiggular boy this _annoying?_

"Don't you think it's sad?" the spirit asked. "Here we have a man, in his fifties-"

"I am not yet _fifty!"_ Frex interrupted indignantly.

"Sorry, forty-nine. I was rounding up. A man of forty-nine, having breakfast with his family on Lurlinemas morning. Oh, wait."

Frex glared at him, which the spirit ignored. Frex was sure that was a trait he was channelling from the real Fiyero.

"Where _are _your daughters on this Lurlinemas morning?" he asked casually.

Frex stifled a sigh. "At Shiz," he said shortly, although he was sure Fiyero already know that perfectly well.

"Right. And _why _is that? Why aren't they here?"

"Nessa can't travel alone," Frex said immediately.

"Naturally," Fiyero agreed. "And Elphaba?"

Frex's mouth tightened. "Elphaba made her choice."

"And what choice would that be exactly?"

Frex glared at him silently.

The spirit sighed. "You've seen how you've treated Elphaba in the past, right? Which to put it bluntly, can be summed up as "like an ass?""

Frex's glower intensified, but the spirit didn't cower. He did however, seem to take that as a sign of acknowledgment.

"Melena loved her," the spirit reminded him. "Wait- is that love or loved? I'm terrible with tenses. Downside of being in the present, it's hard to think in terms of the past."

He paused in though and then shrugged. "Whatever. Melena loves her, Nessa loves her. Why can't I- I mean, Fiyero love her? Do you believe she loves him? Or is this still a sign of rebellion? Just a way to annoy you, and bring shame on the family?"

Frex said nothing.

Fiyero looked over at Frexspar again, still eating his porridge alone at the table.

"Let's see how your daughters are festivating Lurlinemas, shall we?"

He clicked his fingers again and Frex found himself in a room he'd never seen before. It seemed to be a lavish apartment, tastefully and sparsely decorated. There was a tree in a corner of the living area near the fireplace, which was crackling away merrily. A small pile of clumsily wrapped presents lay under the tree. A clock on the wall chimed twelve.

Frex wasn't sure if he was really here or not, but he could smell something delicious as though he was right there in the room. He couldn't place what it was, but a part of him wished he was in the room so he could actually eat it.

The apartment they could see was empty, and Frex wondered what they were waiting for. Then he heard whistling, the same annoying and cheerful carol the spirit had been whistling earlier. Frex spun around to glare at him, but the spirit was standing there innocently.

"Wasn't me."

There were footsteps and as Frex looked over, Fiyero Tiggular entered the room- the _real _Fiyero Tiggular. Frex gaped at the spirit, who shrugged.

"OK, so it was kind of me. In a way."

Frex spluttered. "What exactly are we doing here?!" he demanded.

The spirit gestured to the door, just in time for a knock to sound out in the room. Fiyero stopped whistling as he trooped over to the door and flung it open.

"Happy Lurlinemas!"

Frex was startled to see Nessarose in the hall, looking very pretty in a lilac dress with a matching ribbon in her hair. There was a pile of present on her lap, and Boq stood behind her, pushing the chair.

"Happy Lurlinemas, Fiyero," Nessa smiled.

Fiyero bent down and kissed her cheek. "You look nice, Nessa. Are these for me? You shouldn't have," he grinned.

Nessa laughed. "You might be lucky," she teased. "Shall I put them under the tree?"

"Go nuts," Fiyero agreed. "Hey, Boq."

"Hey. Something smells great," Boq commented, following Nessa into the apartment. He was holding a bag, which had more presents in it.

"I wish I could take credit for it, but you know it's all Fae's doing," Fiyero chuckled, shutting the door.

Frex frowned. Who was Fae?

A few minutes later, there was another knock on the door, but Fiyero had barely taken a few steps towards the door from the couch before it flung open.

A short, petite blonde girl skipped in to the room in a whirlwind of pink and glitter.

"Happy Lurlinemas, my lovelies!" she exclaimed cheerily. "Fiyero, wait until you see Elphie! I did a little magic this morning- not literally, of course," she giggled.

"Thank Oz for that," a familiar voice said and Frex blinked in surprise as Elphaba entered the room. She was carrying two bags with gifts in them, which she handed to the blonde.

"Hey, Galinda. Make yourself useful."

The blonde, who Frex realised must be Galinda Upland, took the bags from Elphaba without arguing, beaming.

"Doesn't she look swankified? I found that dress and-"

"For Oz's sake, Glin. Shut up," Elphaba interrupted in exasperation.

Frex didn't think he'd ever seen Elphaba wear something like that before. It was a dark blue lace dress, with a high neck and a triangle cut out on the chest and a nude lining. She looked… like Melena, Frex realised. Her features, anyway. He'd never realised before.

"Happy Lurlinemas, Fabala," Nessa called out across the room.

Elphaba immediately went over to her sister and bent down to hug her. "Happy Lurlinemas, Nessie. Happy Lurlinemas, Boq," she added to the Munchkin.

"You too," Boq smiled back. "Lunch smells great."

That made Elphaba look over her shoulder to Fiyero. "Everything's ok?"

Fiyero rolled his eyes. "Fae, I am perfectly capable of pre-heating an oven and putting a lasagne inside. Especially when you leave a whole page of instructions and underline three times the bit about not leaving the foil on before putting the lasagne inside. Which I'm not sure was completely necessary. Do you really think I'm that stupid?"

Elphaba grinned. "I wasn't taking any chances, Prince boy. I've seen you try and fail to cook toast," she teased him.

"That was one time!" Fiyero protested defensively. "And I think the bigger issue is that you haven't even wished me, your own loving boyfriend, a Happy Lurlinemas yet or given me so much as a hello."

Elphaba rolled her eyes and left the others, crossing to where Fiyero stood between the living area and the kitchen.

"Hello Fiyero, Happy Lurlinemas," she said solemnly.

Fiyero's face broke into a grin from the pout he had previously worn. "It's not very heartfelt, but I'll take it," he said and Elphaba laughed.

"Happy Lurlinemas, Fae," he added softly.

"Why is he calling her 'Fae'?" Frex demanded, bewildered.

The spirit shrugged. "There's not really a reason or story behind it. He just started it one day. It's one of their couple things."

"I'll just check on the lasagne," Elphaba was saying, trying to move past Fiyero into the kitchen.

"Oh no you don't, Miss Thropp," Fiyero said firmly. "The whole point of you preparing everything yesterday and freezing it, was so you don't spend Lurlinemas in the kitchen. Remember?"

"Yes, but-"

"And if you go into the kitchen 'just to check on it', you'll find things that need to be done and do them, which defeats the purpose."

"No, I just need to-"

"The lasagne is cooking, the bread is sliced and the salad you made last night is also waiting in the fridge ready to go. The table is set, and there's ice cream for dessert. There is literally nothing for you to do in the kitchen."

Elphaba fell silent, clearly unable to think of an argument. Frex noted that Fiyero seemed very pleased with himself.

"Besides, you've forgotten something."

She frowned. "What?"

Fiyero gestured upwards, and Frex and Elphaba's gaze both drifted up. There, hanging from the light fixture, was a sprig of mistletoe.

Frex rolled his eyes as Elphaba raised an eyebrow. "Really, Yero?"

"It's tradition," Fiyero informed her solemnly. "I'm afraid I can't let you pass until you kiss me. It's bad luck."

Elphaba rolled her eyes, then rose onto her toes and swiftly kissed Fiyero's cheek.

"There you go," she said, smirking and made to move away.

Fiyero looked bewildered for a moment, and then quickly reached out and snagged Elphaba around the waist, pulling her back to him as she started laughing.

"Yeah, nice try," he said, and dipped his head to kiss her soundly.

Frex looked away uncomfortably, moving over to see what Nessa was doing. She, Boq and Galinda were talking over near the tree. Nessa and Galinda were alternating between glancing over at Elphaba and Fiyero, and exchanging smiles.

"Guys, if you two can come up for air, are we doing presents before or after lunch?" Galinda finally called out.

Frex looked over and saw Elphaba and Fiyero had thankfully separated.

"If I'm not allowed in the kitchen, can you tell me how long is left on the lasagne?" she asked Fiyero pointedly.

"Wait, if you can't go in the kitchen, does that mean Fiyero's serving?" Boq called over, hearing her question.

"What, now I can't even be trusted to _serve?!" _Fiyero demanded, even as he went into the kitchen to check the timer on the oven.

"Fine, Boq can serve," Elphaba said calmly.

Boq looked as though that hadn't gone as well as he'd hoped, but didn't argue.

"Fifteen minutes left," Fiyero announced.

Frex and the spirit watched as it was determined that lunch would be served before presents. Boq did serve, and they sat down to eat.

"This is the strangest Lurlinemas lunch I've ever had," Nessa laughed.

"Because I wasn't trusted to be able to cook roast or vegetables," Fiyero replied.

"Oh my Oz," Elphaba exclaimed in exasperation. "How long are you going to gripe about this?"

Fiyero considered that thoughtfully. "For the rest of our relationship," he said decisively, nodding firmly.

Elphaba groaned. "Great."

Galinda giggled. "So, you'll be hearing about this for the next fifty years, Elphie."

"It might be wise to invest in some cooking lessons for Fiyero," Nessa added with a smile.

Frex was surprised that Elphaba didn't argue with them. She merely blushed faintly, exchanged a look with Fiyero, and returned to her lunch.

"Are you- they… what?" he spluttered, a little in shock.

He turned to the spirit, who met his eyes determinedly.

"Despite what you choose to think, I can tell you with a hundred per cent certainty that Fiyero truly loves Elphaba. Now, the future isn't my area, but I know they have one together. A long one."

Frex frowned incredulously. "But-"

"Their relationship has _nothing _to do with you," the spirit interrupted. "It's not to spite you, or an act of rebellion. They met, they fell in love. It happens to people every day. I see it. It happens in a moment, and I know because I _am _that moment."

Frex avoided his gaze, instead watching his daughters and their friends festivate Lurlinemas together. Somehow, as the spirit had been talking, time seemed to have skipped forward. They were finished lunch now, and Fiyero and Boq were cleaning the kitchen. Galinda had left the room, and Nessarose and Elphaba were sitting together in the living area near the tree, talking quietly.

Elphaba looked rather anxious, and Frex moved forward to hear what they were saying.

"Are you ok?" Elphaba was asking her sister. "I know this isn't our typical Lurlinemas, and that's my fault-"

"It's not your fault, Fabala," Nessa reassured her. "And this is a wonderful Lurlinemas. Besides, it's only because of you we really festivate Lurlinemas at all, I know that. I had hoped Father would come around by now," she admitted. "And I do miss him, and it feels strange not being at home. But… Fiyero makes you happy, and I like seeing you happy," she smiled.

"I wish Father could believe how much Fiyero has changed and how much he loves you."

Elphaba sighed. "Nessa, Father doesn't see anything beyond my skin. He never has. He's not going to believe that someone like Fiyero could choose someone like me."

Frex gaped at Elphaba, stunned by her accuracy.

Nessa looked at her sister sadly. "Fabala…"

"It doesn't matter," Elphaba cut her off gently. "Really it doesn't."

"But if he won't let you come home… if he cuts you off," Nessa said anxiously.

"I'll manage," Elphaba said firmly. "Somehow…"

"Ahem."

Both girls and Frex looked up to see Fiyero there, clearly having overheard. "Fae, can I talk to you for a sec? Alone," he added, shooting an apologetic look at Nessa. "Lurlinemas present," he explained as Elphaba looked quizzical.

"What exactly did you get me you can't give me in front of everyone?" she asked warily, even as she stood up.

"Well, it's not exactly from me," Fiyero said mysteriously.

He led Elphaba out of the room. At a prod from the spirit, Frex followed. They were in Fiyero's bedroom, Frex saw, and his lips tightened immediately.

"Simmer down, Governor," the spirit said firmly, seeing his expression. "Just watch."

From within his jacket pocket, Fiyero withdrew a letter, which he handed to Elphaba.

"This is from my parents. For you."

Elphaba and Frex frowned in unison. "From your parents? I haven't even met them yet, why are they writing me?" she demanded.

Fiyero grinned. "Just read it, Fae."

Puzzled, she did so. Frex watched in confusion as her expression changed to one of shock.

"Wait- _what?_" she whispered, still staring at the letter. She gaped at Fiyero wordlessly. "Yero, what did you do?!"

"I didn't do anything!" Fiyero said defensively. "I told them what was going on, that's all. This is all their doing. Which I support a hundred per cent, I might add."

Elphaba shook her head. "No. They can't do it. It's too much."

"No, it's not," Fiyero argued.

"I don't want their charity!" she cried.

"Fae, it's not charity," Fiyero said softly.

She raised an eyebrow at him pointedly. "It's not," he insisted.

He sat her down on the bed and sat beside her, taking her hand. "I told them everything that was happening with your father, and they want to help. They know how brilliant you are-"

"They haven't even met me," Elphaba reminded him.

"They don't need to," Fiyero smiled. "My grades since I've met you is enough evidence for them. Besides the fact that I love you. And they know if your father _does _cut you off, you deserve to finish your degree. Paying for your tuition and expenses is just that."

Frex's eyebrows rose so high, if he'd had any hair left, they would have disappeared into his hairline. Fiyero's parents wanted to pay for Elphaba's tuition?

Fiyero grinned. "As my dad said, it's actually an investment. Ensuring the future queen of the Vinkus has the best possible education. It's benefiting them."

Elphaba rolled her eyes, but she was smiling softly.

Fiyero frowned suddenly, leaning forward. "Fae, what is it?"

Frex looked closer and realised there were tears in Elphaba's eyes.

"It's just... why would they do this?"

Fiyero's face softened. "Because I've told them about your brilliance and your beauty and your good, loving, generous heart. They know all about how amazing you are, how happy you make me and how much I love you. They want to help in anyway they can, and make sure you know that you are always welcome in the Vinkus."

A tear ran down Elphaba's cheek and Fiyero gently wiped it away. "Don't cry, green girl. You know I hate it when you cry."

Elphaba chuckled, wiping her eyes. She looked at the letter again and sighed.

"This is very generous of them… they could meet me and hate me, you know," she told him.

"Not possible," Fiyero replied immediately.

"You're biased," Elphaba informed him.

"I'm in love," Fiyero grinned and kissed her. "Happy Lurlinemas, Fae."

"Happy Lurlinemas," she answered softly. "I love you."

Fiyero grinned. "I love yo too, green girl."

"Guys, hurry up! We want presents!" came Galinda's voice interrupted them from out of the room and laughing, Elphaba and Fiyero obediently headed out to join the others.

Frex didn't follow this time. "I've seen enough," he said tightly.

The spirit nodded. "Fair enough."

He clicked his fingers, and in a moment, Frex was once again alone in his room.

**AN. Any _Will and Grace _fans out there? There's a character in my next fic similar to a character from the show ;) And if you haven't seen it... YouTube it. Elphaba's dress is on my blog.**


	4. Chapter 4- The Third of the Spirits

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Wicked**_** was created by Stephen Schwartz, **_**A Christmas Carol**_** by Charles Dickens. As I am neither of those people, clearly I own nothing.**

**AN. Thedoctor24601: It's only 5 chapters. Even the actual _A Christmas Carol _novel is only 5 chapters, so I'm happy with it. I could have stretched it out with more memories, but I think that would have dragged. And I don't post anything until I've finished writing it, which is why the updates are quick!  
**

**Some of you guessed Fiyero for the last spirit- see if you guessed the third! **

**Chapter 4: The Third of the Spirits**

Frex spent the next hour waiting for the last spirit, pacing the room restlessly. Had he been wrong? Could it be that Fiyero and Elphaba… _were _in love? It had seemed in what the spirit had shown him, that Fiyero's parents certainly thought so and approved the match. But was it real?

The scenes he had borne witness to of the past were certainly accurate, as far as Frex could be sure. But he had just seen the present.

And then a thought occurred to Frex, stopping him in his tracks. He had seen the past and the present. So… logically, could he assume this third spirit was to show him the future? Frex felt rather uneasy about the idea of seeing his future. Or perhaps he was just uneasy about what form this spirit would take. No matter his feelings, Frex could admit the first two spirits had had sound logic to justify the forms they had assumed. But that didn't make it any easier to guess what to expect.

What Nessarose had shown him had made him see his eldest daughter clearly for the first time. Fiyero had given Frex room to doubt his earlier beliefs about Elphaba and Fiyero's relationship. What could this third spirit show him? Hadn't Melena just wanted him to accept Elphaba and her relationship with the prince?

Maybe it was enough. Maybe now that he had accepted that he was wrong… he might be wrong… there was no need for the last spirit to appear to him at all.

That hoped was quickly dashed upon the chime of the hour when the room suddenly turned dark and cold.

Frex stood very still, waiting for someone to appear. A gust of icy wind blew through the room, despite the closed window, making him shiver. And then amongst the shadows, he saw a figure take form.

Tall, thin… a woman, Frex realised. She wore a long black dress that covered all her skin but her hands. There was a hat on her head, a tall and pointed hat that shielded her face from Frex's view. Tendrils of hair blew, although there was no wind.

Frex strained to see beneath the brim of her hat, looking to see if this was a form he was meant to recognise. Then he caught a flicker of green.

"Elphaba?" he asked, his voice surprisingly croaky.

The spirit said nothing. It didn't even move.

Frex cleared his throat, and spoke again. "You- you are the third spirit?"

There was a small incline of the head.

"The Ghost of Lurlinemas Yet to Come?" he pressed on.

Another slight incline. Frex didn't think any form of Elphaba had ever been this silent. It was unnerving.

"Shall we go, then?" he finally asked, wanting to get this over with.

At last, the spirit moved. She raised her hands and made some peculiar, yet oddly graceful movements with her hands. Green lights seemed to emit from her fingertips and another blast of furious wind rushed through the room, making Frex close his eyes instinctively.

When he opened his eyes, he didn't recognise where he was standing. It was a lavish yet comfortable room, elegantly furnished yet with a simple, homey feel to it. Once again, it seemed to be Lurlinemas.

There was a tall and beautifully decorated tree in one corner, with an enormous pile of presents beneath it- far bigger than Frex could recall seeing in any memory or scene that he'd witnessed thus far.

There was a crackling fire in the fireplace, and as Frex turned to it, his gaze was directed to a line of silver framed photographs that sat on the mantelpiece. One in the centre was larger than the others, and Frex stared at it in shock.

It was Elphaba and Fiyero's wedding picture, but that wasn't what Frex had found so shocking. What caught him by surprise, was that Elphaba was wearing Melena's wedding dress. Frex would have recognised it anywhere.

It suited her, he had to admit, and she looked… happy.

The other photos were Elphaba with Nessa, Elphaba with Galinda and the couple with an older couple that Frex realised were Fiyero's parents. He stopped again to carefully inspect the photo on the end.

It was all five of them. Nessa was in the centre, in her chair, in a white dress and clutching a bouquet. Frex's breath caught. Nessa was married? How far into the future _was _this? It took Frex another moment to see that Nessa was happily clutching the hand of a beaming Boq, who was kneeling next to her chair.

Nessa had married _Boq? _Frex liked the Munchkin boy, but as far as he knew, Nessa and Boq weren't even dating in the present. When did this happen?

Galinda, Elphaba and Fiyero were standing behind the happy couple. Elphaba and Fiyero were standing close together, and Fiyero's hand was resting on Elphaba's rounded stomach.

Pregnant. Elphaba was pregnant. How long ago had this been taken? Had she had the baby yet?

Then a thought occurred to Frex. Was the baby green? Had it been even a possibility? They had never discoverated why Elphaba was green, Frex wouldn't know if there was a chance that she could also have a green child.

Frex jerked around from the mantelpiece as he heard voices coming towards the room. His heart was pounding in his chest, he'd forgotten for a moment that they wouldn't be able to see him.

They all entered the room together, Fiyero's parents, Nessa and Boq, Galinda and Fiyero brought up the rear.

"Should you help Elphie?" Galinda was asking Fiyero.

"I offered, she said no. It won't take long."

Frex watched as they settled into the room, claiming seats around the tree.

"Fae's going to think we all went nuts," Fiyero said with a grin, looking at all the presents under the tree.

"I'm inclined to agree with her," Nessa laughed.

Galinda waved a hand around dismissively. "Don't be ridiculous. It's Lurlinemas! I'm just glad we're all together. Thank Oz Momsie and Popsicle understood. Although I feel like a fifth wheel between you and Boq, and Yero and Elphie," she complained.

"Well, stop being so picky and find a sixth wheel," Fiyero said, looking at the labels on some of the gifts under the tree.

Galinda grabbed a nearby pillow from the sofa she was sitting next to, and threw it at Fiyero. It bounced off his head, making him yelp in protest.

"I am not _picky, _Fiyero Tiggular," she glared at him. "I'm just… careful."

Then she grinned. "It's ok. While I'm waiting to find Mr Right, I have Lin."

"No you don't," Elphaba's voice said from the doorway and Frex looked over as she entered the room, his gaze fixed on the blanket wrapped bundle in her arms.

"You are not using my son as an emotional crutch while you find yourself the perfect boyfriend," Elphaba scolded Galinda.

She carefully seated herself on the chair Fiyero was leaning on and readjusted the bundle in her arms. Carefully, Frex peered forward to look at his… grandson, he realised. He wasn't green. For a moment, Frex felt a flicker of something that felt like… disappointment? No, it couldn't be. Why would he be disappointed the child looked normal?

He couldn't see many of the baby's features, but he could see fine dark hair covering the baby's head, as dark as Elphaba's. But what Frex could see, was that he was a beautiful child.

As Fiyero had predicted, Elphaba was shaking her head at the number of presents under the tree.

"You guys have remembered he's only seven weeks old, right? He has no idea what Lurlinemas is, let alone about gifts. All he pretty much does is eat, sleep and poop."

The Vinkun king laughed. "Elphaba, I think we're allowed to spoil our first grandchild on his first Lurlinemas," he said warmly.

Elphaba smiled at him. "I don't suppose I could think of any arguments to convince you otherwise."

"Of course not," Galinda chimed in, beaming. "Look at that little face! I swear, he gets more perfect every day. Don't you, Linden?" she cooed to the baby. "You're perfect."

Elphaba looked down at the baby, and Frex couldn't think of any moment he'd seen her look that happy or content before. His heart twisted as he recalled Melena looking at Elphaba with that same look on her face.

It was a beautiful scene, probably the most beautiful moment Frex had seen so far. Fiyero was beaming as he watched his wife and child, and Fiyero's parents looked on proudly. It was a family, Frex realised. Warm and loving, and everything Frex had imagined for himself and Melena when they'd first gotten married.

And then Frex realised something. He looked around to find the spirit, who was standing in the corner of the room silently.

"Where am I?" he asked.

In reply, the spirit waved her hand. Frex found himself in the same room on what appeared to be the same day. Only now, all the gifts were gone from under the tree, and Elphaba, Nessa, Galinda and the queen were drinking tea. The baby was being held lovingly by Nessa, who was watching as Elphaba spoke vehemently.

"I'm not inviting him. I'm sorry, I can't. No matter what traditions are involved."

"He is your father, sweetheart," the queen said softly. "And Linden's maternal grandfather."

"He hasn't been my father since he disowned me," Elphaba said bluntly. "I'm sorry, Kasmira. I know I'm breaking centuries old tradition with this, but I can't have him at the christening. I agreed to invite him to the wedding, and he didn't come. He wouldn't even acknowledge it. And from what Nessa says, he hasn't acknowledged Linden in any way since it became public knowledge I was pregnant."

Nessa nodded. "Fabala's right. All of Munchkinland knew Elphaba was pregnant. Boq and I made no secret of it. I was hoping if he heard the news he might come around," she admitted. "But he didn't. And he knew she was in town for the wedding, he didn't come to that either," she added softly.

Frex grew cold. He whirled around to the spirit in alarm.

"I didn't go to Nessa's wedding?"

The spirit shook her head.

"Or Elphaba's?" Another shake.

"I- I did disown her then?" Frex asked, feeling unsettled. He received a nod in response. "For being with Fiyero?"

"Do I have anything to do with either of the girls?" he demanded.

The spirit shook her head again, as the truth dawned on Frex.

"Nessa chose her sister, didn't she? When I disowned her? She chose Elphaba over me."

The spirit nodded, and Frex was genuinely shocked. In all this time, he hadn't expected that Nessa would do that.

"Then… where am I?" he asked again. He dreaded the answer.

Another rush of wind, and Frex found himself back in the Governor's house in Munchkinland. The house was dark and cold.

Frex went through the house, tailed by the ghostly spectre that resembled his daughter, looking for himself. Entering the dining room, he stopped with a start. He looked _old._

There he was, sitting at the table, alone; eating toast. And he did indeed look old, older than Frex had expected, because he didn't think more than five years could have passed. Frexspar's face was grey and drawn and heavily lined.

"This is it?" he asked hoarsely, watching himself. "This is my life? My future? Alone in this house?"

He was met by silence. Frex strained to see under the hat she wore, but he couldn't see anything other than her lips.

"There must be more you wanted to show me," he pressed.

The lips curved into a small smirk.

The spirit silently led him out of the room and into the kitchen. Even as they walked, the room seemed to shift around them. Frex could only assume that meant time was moving forward, by how much he couldn't say.

They were in the kitchen, and the housekeeper was bustling around and making tea. Two other women were in the room with her, who Frex vaguely recognised from around town as friends of hers.

"I still can't believe it. I got the fright of my life when I found him," she said, shuddering slightly.

"It was a heart attack, the coroner said?" one of the women asked.

The housekeeper nodded. "Yes. He'd been dead a few hours by the time I came in."

Silence fell.

"I'm not surprised," the second friend said. "His health's been going downhill since he lost the girls."

"He didn't _lose _the girls," the housekeeper corrected. "He kicked Elphaba _out. _Nessarose stood up for her sister."

"Not that the Governor put it that way," the first woman replied dryly. "Did he really expect us to believe the girls would spend _every_ summer and holiday at the Vinkus on holiday? Until they left for Shiz, Nessarose had never spent more than a few days away from her father."

The housekeeper looked sad. "He keeps writing to her, you know? Nessarose. He writes to her, she doesn't reply. She doesn't speak to him. Not since she told him that he made her choose between him and Elphaba and she was choosing Elphaba."

"I can think of a lot of people who never expected her to make that choice," one of the women said.

Frex was numb.

"I die. I die alone?"

The spirit said nothing, but Frex could feel it's presence behind him.

"This is what Melena meant," he muttered, beginning to pace in distress. "Why it was so important to change what happened with Elphaba. To avoid this?"

Frex turned to the spirit. "Do they have more children? Elphaba and the- Fiyero?"

The spirit nodded.

"And Nessa and Boq? They have children?"

Another nod.

"And I just have nothing to do with them, I just live out my days alone in this house until I die?"

A nod.

"Blast it, can't you say something?!" Frex demanded. "Can I change it? Is it too late?"

"The question is, do you want to change it?"

Frex froze. That wasn't Elphaba's voice.

Melena appeared from behind the spirit, looking Frex in the eyes.

"Do you want to change it?" she repeated.

Frex went to speak, but she held up a hand, silencing him.

"Think about it, Frex. You can't want to change it to save yourself from this. It has to be more than that. Why do you want to change it?"

"I want to be there."

The words came out before Frex really thought about it, but as he spoke them, he realised they were true.

"I want to be at their weddings and see my grandchildren. I want to be a part of their lives."

Frex swallowed hard, looking into the ghostly face of his wife.

"Melena… I was wrong. So wrong," he choked. "I've missed out on… everything with Elphaba. I see that now. And if I can, I want to make it right."

A horrifying thought occurred to him. "Will she want to?" he asked her. "Have I left it too late? I couldn't blame her if she didn't want anything to do with me," he admitted honestly. Everything he had seen this night seemed to circle in his head and more- right now, Frex could think of a million examples of things he had done and things he had said concerning his eldest daughter. All of which proved his failure as a good father to her.

He couldn't think of anything that would be in his favour to help his case with Elphaba.

"I don't know," Melena admitted. "You've hurt her very deeply, Frex. For a long time. More than she will admit to herself. She feels abandoned, unwanted, unworthy and unloved. It's not that simple."

Frex closed his eyes. How could he not have seen how he was affecting Elphaba over the years? The Elphaba he had seen in the present and in the future, this wasn't an Elphaba he recognised. But it was an Elphaba he realised he wanted to know.

"Take me back. Please," he whispered, his eyes still closed.

His almost silent plea was met with a rush of wind.

**AN. Yeah, I brought back Melena. It just made sense. A side note- how awesome does "Yet to come" sound as opposed to "the future"? **

**And before anyone says it, yes another Fiyeraba baby. I actually wasn't going to originally, but I wanted Frex to really see everything he'd miss out on by cutting Elphaba off. Including grandchildren. **


	5. Chapter 5- A Second Chance

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Wicked**_** was created by Stephen Schwartz, **_**A Christmas Carol**_** by Charles Dickens. As I am neither of those people, clearly I own nothing.**

**AN. I'd like to dedicate this chapter to the 298 people on flight MH17, and their families and friends. At least 27 of them were Australian (there's still many who haven't had their nationalities confirmed yet as I write this AN), and over 100 were on their way to Melbourne for the 2014 AIDS conference. It's such an awful thing to happen, and my prayers are with them all. **

**Chapter 5: A Second Chance**

The moment Frex had reassured himself that he was back in the present, he sprang into action.

He quickly dressed, thinking hastily. It was half past two in the morning. If he called for a carriage immediately, he could be at Shiz by noon, as long as traffic was light and they made good time. With luck, he might even make it before Elphaba went to lunch. He had a feeling this might be easier without other people around if possible.

His carriage driver and stable boy clearly weren't too happy to be woken up in the middle of the night, especially on Lurlinemas, but Frex couldn't care. For the first time in twenty-two years, Frex could say that Elphaba was his top priority.

As he prepared to leave, Frex had considered sleeping in the carriage, but had immediately dismissed that as a possibility. He felt too wired to even consider sleep. However, somewhere near the Munchkin River, Frex fell asleep.

When he awoke, the sun was shining brightly and Frex's watch told him that it was just after twelve. On his inquiry, the driver told him that they were half an hour away from Shiz. Fiyero tried to think back to what he had seen. If memory served him correctly, he would be interrupting their lunch. It was later than he had hoped, but it couldn't be helped.

Once he arrived at Shiz, it took him a few minutes to find someone who could direct him to Fiyero Tiggular's suite. The HeadShizstress was apparently not festivating Lurlinemas, and although she was surprised to see him, she was eager to help.

"I hope nothing is wrong, Governor?" she asked in concern.

"A family matter," Frex replied shortly, and thanked her before leaving.

He found Fiyero's suite with no problem, and after a moment's hesitation, he steeled himself and knocked on the door.

It felt like an eternity before the door opened and Frex found himself face to face with Boq.

"Governor Thropp!" he exclaimed, unable to hide his surprise.

There immediately came the sound of cutlery dropping onto a plate. Frex would be willing to bet it had been dropped in shock.

"Hello, Boq," he replied shortly.

Boq looked awkwardly over his shoulder, and then Nessa wheeled herself into view. She looked just as surprised to see him.

"Father? What are you doing here?"

Frex cleared his throat. "I came to see-"

Boq swung the door open wider, and Frex could see into the apartment. Elphaba was standing up from the table, her face pale but determinedly set. Fiyero was standing beside her, one arm around her waist protectively. Galinda sat opposite her, looking anxiously between her friend and Frex.

"Elphaba."

Elphaba looked at him, saying nothing.

"Um… Father, why don't you come in?" Nessa suggested awkwardly, looking over her shoulder towards her sister and Fiyero.

Frex stepped into the room, and Boq closed the door behind him. The air was thick with tension, and Frex wasn't quite sure where to start.

To Frex's surprise, it was Fiyero that made the first move. He stepped away from Elphaba and approached Frex. It didn't escape the Governor's notice that he still placed himself in a way so as to block Elphaba from his line of sight, as though to protect her.

"Governor Thropp, I'm Fiyero Tiggular."

Frex extended his hand to the young man, striving to keep his mind on what he had seen this past night and not on the prince's reputation that he knew of. This was the boy who loved his daughter. Who would one day be his son-in-law and the father of at least one grandson. The boy who Melena had chosen for their daughter, who was good to her.

"Frexspar Thropp. It's nice to meet you," he said cordially. A small part of him enjoyed the shock on Fiyero's face as he shook his hand.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your lunch," he said, looking at the table.

"What are you doing here?" Elphaba asked, speaking for the first time.

Frex looked past Fiyero to his eldest daughter. "I'd like a word."

Elphaba looked understandably wary. Frex noted the first thing she did was exchange a glance with Fiyero.

"You can use my bedroom," Fiyero told her quietly.

Elphaba hesitated, and then nodded.

"This way," she said quietly, looking at Frex.

She led him into the bedroom and sat herself on the edge of the bed. Frex took off his cloak and sat on the desk chair and looked at her.

"Elphaba, I came to apologise."

Elphaba's eyes widened in surprise, but said nothing as Frex continued.

"I've been… thinking a lot lately, about what happened over the summer. Not having you girls come home for Lurlinemas has helped too. It's put a lot of things in perspective for me."

This was the hard part, even harder than apologising. Frex took a deep breath. "Elphaba, I was wrong."

"About what?" Elphaba asked uncertainly.

"I shouldn't have judged Fiyero before meeting him. Despite his… reputation in the past, I should have reserved my judgement until meeting him. Most importantly, I should have trusted your judgement."

Frex was sure that had surprised Elphaba more than anything else.

"_My_ judgement?" she repeated in wonder.

"You're a very good judge of character," Frex said quietly. "And I know Fiyero must be a good man if you… trust him."

He couldn't quite bring himself to say "love". Not yet.

"What does that mean exactly?" Elphaba asked.

"It means that I… look forward," Frex said haltingly, trying to convince her and himself that he was sincere. "I look forward to getting to know him, as your… b-boyfriend," he said with a slight grimace.

Elphaba caught it and stiffened and he hastened to explain.

"It's always difficult for a parent to realise his daughters are no longer children," he said quietly. "I'm sure you'll understand when you have children of your own. But I will make an effort to get to know him. He will be welcome in our home, as your boyfriend. I promise you that."

Elphaba met his gaze. "Our home?"

Frex cleared his throat. "Yes."

"But you said-"

"I know what I said," Frex interrupted. "But I shouldn't have. Elphaba, I haven't been a good father to you."

Elphaba's brow furrowed slightly, as though she wasn't sure if she was meant to agree or not.

"Lately, I've realised how badly I've treated you. And I regret that. I'd like to make amends."

"You'd… like to make amends… for being a bad father?" Elphaba asked, sounding confused.

"Yes," Frex nodded.

She seemed to struggle for something to say. "And how exactly do you make up for that?" she asked.

"Money? Gifts? What, do you buy me a pony?"

"Elphaba-"

"No," she cut him off. "Why? What's changed? Why now?"

It was a fair question, but one that Frex wasn't sure how to answer. The truth would make him sound crazy.

"I realised that your mother would have liked him," Frex finally said, deciding upon a version of the truth.

"I was thinking last night what your mother would have done in this situation, and I realised that she never would have put you _in_ that situation," he said.

"She would have trusted your judgement on whoever you decided to date, and made an effort to get to know them. And the more I thought about it, the more I found myself thinking about the past. What Lurlinemas was like when your mother was alive."

Elphaba stared at her lap. "I don't really remember," she said quietly.

Frex nodded silently.

"I remember how much she loved you. And how… ashamed she would be of me."

He had her undivided attention now.

"When she was alive, she tried to make me see how I was behaving, but I couldn't see past your skin," Frex admitted. "When she died, I used Nessa and my grief as an excuse to keep you at arm's length. It's only been recently that I've realised the full extent of how badly I've acted.

I'm sorry Elphaba. You're not a child anymore," he said simply. "You're a… beautiful, intelligent young woman. And your mother would be very proud of you."

Elphaba's eyes were wide.

"I've missed a lot with you, and no matter how much I try, I know I can't get that back. Even if I buy you a pony," he said.

He actually smiled slightly, and Elphaba's lips quirked slightly in response.

"The fact of the matter is, is that I don't want to miss any more important events in your life. Your wedding, your children… I want to be a part of that. And that's why I came today."

Elphaba was silent for a long moment.

"You must have had to leave Munchkinland in the middle of the night," she blurted out abruptly.

"I believe it was about three am," he nodded.

"You left at three am on Lurlinemas morning… to tell me that you're sorry?" she asked.

Frex nodded again.

"For me?"

Frex could have winced at the pure disbelief in her tone.

"Yes," he told her quietly.

Elphaba fell silent, thinking. Frex didn't interrupt.

"Mom- mom would have liked him? Fiyero?" Elphaba's voice was quiet.

Frex nodded. He knew that for a fact.

"She would have liked that he loves you," he said. "She would have been glad that he loves you, and that he's good for you. She would have been very happy that you've found someone who treats you well and makes you happy."

Elphaba looked at him strangely. "How do you know he treats me well? You haven't met him yet."

"You wouldn't be with him if he didn't," Frex said and Elphaba couldn't argue with that.

"Perhaps I could start getting to know him now?" Frex suggested.

Elphaba hesitated.

"Ok," she agreed reluctantly.

She led the way out of the room where the others were gathered.

"Is everything ok?" Nessa asked immediately, looking anxious.

"It's fine, Nessa," Elphaba reassured her sister.

She went immediately to Fiyero's side, who shot her a concerned look as he wrapped an arm around her. She nodded faintly, and Fiyero relaxed.

None of this escaped Frex's notice.

"Would you like something to eat, Father?" Nessa asked. "There's plenty of leftovers. Fabala made lasagne."

Frex couldn't remember the last time he'd eaten. But he didn't remember how good that lunch had smelt.

"That would be wonderful, thank you, Nessarose," he said.

"I'll get it," Boq offered quickly.

"Please, finish your lunch," Frex addressed the others. "I interrupted your meal."

Awkwardly, the six of them sat down to eat. Frex noted the others all sending Elphaba meaningful looks, clearly wanting to know what was going on.

After lunch, just as Frex had been shown, Fiyero and Boq offered to clean the kitchen before doing presents.

"Actually, if you don't mind," Frex spoke up. "I'd like a word with Fiyero."

Fiyero agreed immediately and offered up his bedroom again. As Frex made to close the door behind him, he saw Galinda and Nessarose immediately move towards Elphaba, no doubt demanding an explanation.

"What did you want to talk about, sir?" Fiyero asked politely. He didn't sit, he stood facing Frex determinedly.

Frex had to respect that.

"You are in love with my daughter."

There was no question there, but Fiyero answered it anyway.

"Yes, sir."

"You intend to marry her?"

If he was surprised, Fiyero didn't show it. "Yes, sir. Once we're both finished with school."

Even if he had admitted to Elphaba he was wrong, Frex wasn't ready to apologise to Fiyero. Not just yet.

"Your reputation precedes you, Mr Tiggular."

He felt a small flicker of satisfaction as Fiyero was unable to hide his wince.

"Governor Thropp, I'm aware that there are stories… things," he amended as Frex raised a sceptical eyebrow. "Things in my past that aren't that great. Things I'm not proud of and I regret. But I give you my word that my feelings for Elphaba and my intentions towards her are a hundred per cent honourable."

Frex regarded him sternly.

"I love her more than anything," Fiyero said quietly. "My parents approve of her, and they know my intentions."

Frex remembered the letter from Fiyero's parents that he had seen. No doubt it was in the boy's jacket pocket right now.

"Sir, you and Elphaba-"

"Do not always see eye to eye," Frex finished, his voice cool.

Fiyero looked doubtful, clearly he would have worded that differently.

"I am aware, Mr Tiggular. Despite that, she is my daughter."

"I'm going to treat her right, sir. And do everything I can to make her happy."

Frex looked at him, not sure how to end this conversation.

"I believe you," he finally said, and headed for the door before Fiyero could say anything.

When he stepped into the room, the others were in the living area. Elphaba looked particularly anxious.

"Father, would you like to stay while we open presents?" Nessa asked him. "Or do you have to go back to Munchkinland right away?"

Frex considered the offer for a moment.

"Thank you, Nessa. I think I should be getting back so the driver can see his family for Lurlinemas."

He didn't want to overwhelm Elphaba- or himself- by forcing their relationship to change too quickly. Nessa looked disappointed, and Elphaba… well, Frex couldn't be sure.

"Perhaps I could come back after the holidays?" Frex heard himself suggesting. "For a weekend. Spend some time with- with you girls."

Nessa looked immediately over to Elphaba, which made Frex's chest clench automatically.

Elphaba glanced at her sister, and then to Fiyero, before meeting his gaze.

"Ok," she said quietly.

Frex nodded. "I'll look at my schedule when I return home and see which dates work best," he said.

He put his cloak back on and headed for the door.

"Merry Lurlinemas," he said shortly, and left.

Even from the hallway he could hear Fiyero's exclamation of "What in Oz's name just happened?!"

He may have smiled a little.

Maybe everything wasn't perfect now, maybe it never would be. But Frex felt it was a start to mending bridges. He'd take it.

**The End**

**AN. I am determined to finally finish writing _The Right Thing to do _as my next fic. It's been giving me trouble for... a very long time. Currently I'm on chapter 4, and I think there's 30+ planned. Not sure if all 30+ will get written, but that's what is planned.**

**If you follow me on Twitter, I'm sure I'll be tweeting updates as I go! If you don't follow me and want to, all info is on my bio.**

**One last note for now- a book recommendation. I think I've mentioned it before, but you should all read FANGIRL by Rainbow Rowell. I just re-read it again yesterday. If you follow me on Twitter or Tumblr you would have seen my thing about it! **


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